To help you manage important projects to completion, we regularly review top project management and collaboration software and services. Such platforms can be invaluable to both enterprises and small to midsize businesses (SMBs) because they provide not only task and project-tracking features but also new channels of communication and new ways to implement modern work scenarios—especially in situations involving distributed locations and virtual teams.

Two top products in these categories are LiquidPlanner and Trello. Both platforms are well-known, have top-tier feature sets, and excellent reputations. So we decided to pit them directly against each other to see which contender would come out on top.

Meet the ContendersLiquidPlanner and Trello are closely rated, receiving 4 stars and 3 stars (out of 5 starts), respectively, in our recent review oundups. However, each offers vastly different approaches to project management. While LiquidPlanner is a virtual workspace that is heavily focused on time management, Trello uses a highly flexible and visual-based work style. We compared these project management services on pricing, ease of use, support, project tracking, communication, collaboration, and mobile apps and third-party integrations. After five rounds, only one contender came out the champion.

Round 1: Pricing and PackagesLiquidPlanner offers a 30-day, no-risk free trial and three levels of service: Standard, Professional, and Enterprise. All plans have a 10-user minimum and include integration with Salesforce.com, Google Drive, Dropbox, and Box. Prices start at $29 per user per month ($290 per month minimum) for the annual Standard plan, which includes up to 50 active projects and 25 GB of online storage.

The Professional plan, with the required 10 users, starts at $390 per month, comes with 100 GB of storage, and supports 300 active projects. It also includes application programming interface (API) access, unlimited internal dashboards for your team, and up to 10 external dashboards so you can share projects with colleagues outside of your company. Pricing for the Enterprise plan starts at $49 per month.

Trello's pricing is significantly lower. It offers a free account and three paid versions: Gold, Business Class, and Enterprise. The free account lets you manage as many boards (i.e., projects) as you want and attach cards (tasks, documents, and images) up to 10MB in size. You can also invite as many collaborators as you want. For $5 per month or $45 per year, you can upgrade to a Gold account which offers mostly aesthetic add-ons in addition to the ability to attach files as large as 250MB.

The Business Class and Enterprise accounts go further by offering Admin controls. Trello Business Class costs $3.75 per user per month when paid annually, or $45 per person per year for up to 100 people. A 10-user Business Class account would cost $37.50 per month compared to LiquidPlanner's $290 per month Standard plan and $390 per month Professional plan. Trello Enterprise plans, for organizations with more than 100 people, use custom pricing.

Round 1 Goes to: LiquidPlanner. While Trello is significantly less expensive, LiquidPlanner offers more features including robust billing and reporting tools.

Round 2: Getting Started and Getting HelpSigning up for LiquidPlanner and Trello is simple: just provide a few details and verify your email address and you can dive right in. LiquidPlanner has a no-nonsense user interface (UI) though it offers a vast number of project management tools and customizations. You'll want to set aside a significant amount of time to wade through your options and learn how to use LiquidPlanner before expanding access out to your team. LiquidPlanner includes sample project items and tasks in your workspace so that you can get an idea of how you can use the software.

While LiquidPlanner uses the more traditional structure of project, tasks, and milestones, Trello uses the concept of boards, lists, and cards. A board is similar to a project in that it offers a big-picture look, while lists can take the place of tasks and cards to store project collateral. However, you can use Trello how you see fit; it's ideal for projects and ideas that don't fit into rigid schedules and guidelines. Trello populates your account with a sample board that is embedded with various features so you can get a feel for all of the different ways you can use the software.

When it comes to support, LiquidPlanner offers many online resources including a searchable help guide, how-to videos, and webinars. You can also email support, and submit bugs and feedback. Phone support is also available during your free trial and if you have an Enterprise account. Trello also offers extensive support, with an organized and searchable knowledge base containing articles to help you get started and to learn about features. You can also contact support using a Web form but there's no phone contact available.

Round 2 Goes to: Trello for its simple, yet flexible UI, though LiquidPlanner's more complex functionality is somewhat outweighed by its generous support resources.

Round 3: Managing Projects and Tracking ProgressWith LiquidPlanner, once you create and name a project, you can add a description, assign team members to work on it, set deadlines, and add subprojects, tasks, subtasks, and milestones. Next, you can group your projects into different clusters labelled as type, level of urgency (e.g., ASAP or In Progress), or another label. Trello lets you add either color-coded labels or use keywords and tags to organize your boards.

Time tracking is where LiquidPlanner excels. You can use a built-in clock to track your time or you can do so manually. Project managers set up schedules based upon priority rather than guessing at due dates. The timeline dynamically changes if you add more tasks or update a project's urgency.

With Trello, managers can assign cards and due dates to their colleagues but the software lacks the robust tracking features that LiquidPlanner offers. You can use "power-ups" though to integrate your calendar, enable "card-aging" so you can quickly identify inactive projects, and enable voting to help prioritize projects. You can view a progress bar for checklists on individual cards, which fills in as you check off items but you can't see the bigger picture as you can with LiquidPlanner. Where Trello excels is in its flexibility: you can use the platform to track complex editorial processes, small projects, or even use it to plan vacations or events.

Round 3 Goes to: LiquidPlanner for its more conventional project management tools, though Trello will do for small-scale endeavors.

Round 4: Communication and Collaboration Tools and NotificationsLiquidPlanner has two main types of notifications: a daily digest email and recent changes, which is triggered when an edit is made to an item that you own or follow. You can choose the type of alerts you'd like to receive such as new comments or new items assigned to you. Conveniently, you can outline your availability in your personal profile so you won't be bothered on nonwork days. Its email integration allows you to comment and add files to a project simply by sending an email to a custom email address. Trello aims to keep communications all in one place. On a card's back, users can comment, make updates, and tag other members.

Both services let you manage your settings to receive alerts instantly, periodically, or never. Trello notifications can be sent to your phone and email address in addition to your dashboard. Neither service has integrated chat.

Round 5: Mobile Apps and IntegrationsYou can connect your LiquidPlanner account to Dropbox, Box, Salesforce.com, and Google Drive. Trello is also compatible with Dropbox, Google Drive, and other cloud services. Both work with Zapier, which lets you automate tasks between applications. Zapier is compatible with popular tools such as Google Calendar, Evernote, MailChimp, and more.

LiquidPlanner Professional and Trello have open APIs so you can connect even more services. Each has apps for iPhone, iPad, and Android devices. Trello also offers Amazon Fire and Window 8 tablet apps.

Round 5 Goes to: Trello but it's not a complete knockout.

And the Title Goes to…It was a close battle but LiquidPlanner takes the win by a nose. While you'll have to assess your needs carefully before choosing project management software, LiquidPlanner offers a full suite of options to help you, from start to finish. That's not to say Trello is out of the game; its free plan, ease of use, and flexibility will keep it a viable contender for many businesses, especially those with a narrow project management focus.

About the Author

Molly K. McLaughlin is a New York-based writer and editor with more than a decade of experience covering technology. She has tested and reviewed all sorts of software, mobile apps, and gadgets. Before launching her freelance business, she was an editor at PC Magazine, covering consumer electronics, followed by a stint at ConsumerSearch.com, a revie... See Full Bio

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